Egg-candling machine.



PATENTBD JAN. 2, 1908.

DAVIS. EGG CANDLING MACHINE.

AIILIUATION FILED NOV.8. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

S. E. DAVIS.

EGG CANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED NOV.8.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SAMUEL EDWARD DAVIS, Ol" 'ELGIXy ILLINOIS.

EGG-CANDLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application tiled November 8. i907. Serial Nu. 401.278.

To all u 'wm it muy concern:

Be it known that l, Sorrisi. llnwann l).fi''1s.acitizcnol'the lvnited5tatesot'.ilner ica, and a resident ol lilgin` count)Y ol' Kane., State of llinois. have invented certain new and useful improv ements in llgg-(andling Machines, oi which the following is a specilication.

The main objects of this` in\ ention are to provide an improced l'orm ol' machine for candling or inspecting and judging the ouality of eggs b v viewing them when held before a strong light; to provide a machine of this class in which a large number of eggs may be carried upon an endless belt so as. to pass in succession across a light. in a dark room and to rotate the eggs during such passage; to provide an impro-ed construction whereby the eggs are rolled across a transparent surface, through which the light shines and whereby the spaces between the eggs are.

screened againstv the passage of light: to provide an improved construction for apparatus of this character whereby a powerful light may be. used for the purpose of candling the eggs withoutl danger of causing the quality of the eggs to be atl'ected by the heat of the light; to provide an improved form of eonveyer for carrying eggs in` a device of Athis class; and to provide improved means for preventing the sagging of a belt of flexible material which is perforated to provide seats for supporting eggs. These. objects are accomplished by the device shawn in the. accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an egg candling machine constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan ol' the same partly broken away, the walls of the darkroom being shoii n in section. a detail illustrating the lilting ot' thc egg in its scat in the belt through contact with the transparentpartition. section of the eonveyeron the line 1f-4 of Fi Y. 1. Fig` 5 isa fragmentary detail of the be t, showing the preferred shape of aperture. In the construction shown in the drawings, the a para-tus comprises a housing 1, through Whic i passes in a substantially horizontal osition the endless belt or conveyor 2. he belt .2 is constructed of flexible material, preferably leather, and is provided with a plurality of perforations 3 arranged in intersecting rows. Each ierforation is preferably of substantially elliptical forni (see Fig. 5) so that; an egg may be seated therein with rig. s is 4 is a transverse its axis or long dimension horizontal and with its narrow end facing either side.

The belt 2 is carried by a pair of pulleys 4 mounted in the supporting frame 5. The housing 1 is considerably wider than the belt so as to provide a space at each side of the conveyer, within which the inspector or Candler may stand. Immediately below the belt and-extending across substantially the entire length of the housing is a transpar` ent screen or partition lying parallel with the belt. and preferably formed of glass having a roughened upper surface, as, for'instance, prism glass. As will be sccn from Fig. 3, the eggs project below the lower surface of the belt when resting in the apertures 3. rl`hc upper surface of the partition 6 is so located with respect to the belt that the eggs, in passing over the partition, will be supported thereby` and lit'tcd slightly in their seats so i that tlie traveling of the. beltwill cause thc eggs to roll, thuspermitting the Candler to view the eggs from all sides and insuring the detection of any imperfections.

In the compartment below the glass partition 61s arranged a bank of lights 7, by means of which an intense light directed through the partition (i. In order to counteract the heating ell'eet ol these lights, a fan or blower S is provided, and air passages are arranged in the walls of the compartment 9 so that air currents will flow across said compartment below the partition 6 and carry away heat radiated by the light-s, thus preventing heating of the partition 6 and possible injury to the quality of the eggs.

The stretches'of belt between the pulleys 4 and the housing are supported by means of a plurality of -parallel guides 10 which are mounted upon the supporting .frame and extend longitudinally between the longitudinal rows of eggs. These guides serve to support the belt when weighted by a large quantity of eggs. The upper surfaces of the yguides. are all in the same plane and are somewhat higher than the roughened upper surface of the partition 6, so that they normally sup` ico,Y

prevent accidental rolling off of eggs which are not properly seated in thc belt. These walls referably converge downwardly like the w: ls oi a hopper. The eiid wall 12 at the delivery eiid of the machine is preferably quite sharply inclined to tiic surface ol the belt so that it has the effect of lifting the eggs j y part of the path of the coiiveyer, and a surface extending along said certain part of said out of their scat-s iii case they come into contact with said wall before having beenfremoved by an operator.

The operation ot' the device shown is as follows z-Assume that the belt is driven b vsuitable power in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 1, The speed is such as to allow ample time for a thorough candliiig or inspection of the eggs during their passage through the housing 1, and also to allow sutlicient time for the removal of eggs which are found to be faulty. lf the. belt is driven in the direction of the arrow, the part ot the belt. which lies at the left of the housing in Fig. 1 serves as areceiving platform upon which the eggs are placed so that each will be lodged in an tindividual seat and so that all of the seats will be filled. After thecggs li'ave passed through the housing, they pass before another operator at the delivery end of the machine, where they are inspected in daylight, and sorted as to size, color and cleanliness.

' What I claim as iny invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An egg caiidling machine, comprising a transparent. screen, neans for directing a strong light through said screen, means for rolling an egg along said screen and comprising a sheet of opaque material fitting around the egg and extending away from it on all sides for obscuriiig the light around the egg.

2. An egg candling machine, comprising a transparent screen, means for directing a strong light through said screen, means for conveying, an egg along said screen with its axis parallel therewith and adapted to cause said egg to roll through contact with said screen, said conveying means comprising means for obscuring the light around thel sides of the egg.

3. An egg candling machine., comprising a horizontally disposed conveyor having therein an aperture adapted to serve as a seat for anA egg, means on one side of said eonveyer for directing a light through said aperture, and means separate from said conveyer for rot-ating the egg through the movement of the conveyer.

4. An egg candling machine, comprising a horizontally disposed conveyer having therein a series of apertures each adapted to serve as a seat for supporting an egg on said conveyer, means for directing a light upwardly through the apertures in said conveyer at a certain part of the path thereof, said conveyer being o opaque material and adapted to obscure the light except at said apertures, and a t I l t l i i 5. An egg caiidliiig machine. comprising a coiiveyer having therein a series of apertures each adapted to 'serve as a seat for supporting an egg on said coiivcyer, means tor directing a light through said apertures :-t a certain path and adapted through trietional contact with the eggs to cause them to rotate while opposed to said lighting means.

6. An egg eandling machine, comprising a conveyer having therein a series o apert-ures cach adapted to serve as a seat for supporting an egg ou said conveyer, means for directing a light through said apertures at a certain part ot the path ot' the conveyer, and a transparent screen parallel with said convcyer and extending along said certain part of said path and adapted through frictional Contact with the eggs to cause theni to rotate Y while 'ipposed to said lighting means.

7. An ogg candling machine, comprising a conveyer having therein a series of apertures each adapted to serve as a seat for supporting an egg on said conveyer, means for directing a light through said apertures at a ce1 tain part of the path of the conveyer, and a transiarent screen having a serrated upper surface lielow and adj aeent to said convcyer and extending along said certain part of said path and adapted through frictional contact with the eggs to cause them to rotate while opposed to said lighting means.

S. An egg candling machine, comprising a conveyer having therein a series of apertures each adapted to serve as a. seat for su porting an egg on said conveyer, means for irecting a light through said apertures at a certain .art of the path of the convcycr, and a screen oriiied of prism Class extending along said certain part of said path and adapted through frictional contact with the eggs to cause them to rotate while opposed to said lighting means.

9. An egg candler, comprising a housing, a. horizontally7 disposed conveyor extending through said housing-and a considerable distance outward therefrom at opposite ends, said conveycr having therein a plurality of seats for eggs, being opaque between said seats and being adapted to allow light to pass through said seats, means in said housing for directing light upwardly through said seats,-

and a sup orting surface below the belt and adapted t rough fric-tional cont-act to rotate the eggs in said seats during their passage through the housing.

l0. An eg(r caiidler, comprising a housing, a horizontally disposed conveyer extending across the interior of said housing, said conveyer having therein a plurality of seats for eggs, being opaque between said seats and boing ntlnptetl to allo light to pass through 1 Snitl ents. nnuns in sniil housing;` for tlirmtin r light upwardly through .Quill wuts` :unl incuns for tliroctingr an nir Current hctuvon suitl lightingr intnnS nn l vonvoyvr to prow-nt honting ol' thtl eggs h): mill light in;r nunns.

ll. An 051;: cnntlhr. vontnrisitt;r u housing. n; horizontally listing-ml conruwr vxtvntling' afrosS thv inttrior ol .Quill housing, mit! ronvvyer havin;r therein u plurality ol' 0ut for eggs, hvinj.: o mono hmm-cn titl wut nml living zulnptm to ullon light to pms through said Smits, moans in snitl housingr l'or litvrt in;r light upwardly through suill wuts, mul :t blower for directing nu nir cnrront along tlu` conveycr :irruss the space hetnet-n snitl tronl Voyer ont] lightingr means.

1,2. An egg Candler, coxnpring n houbing, l

:t horizontally tli po=ml rom'cyor cxtrntling mroSs tht.` inlvrior ol snitl housing. snitl onvuwr lun-inf; thvroin n plurnlit)v ol' sunt-s for t-ggs, living; opnquu lwtut-tn snitl smits :unl lwin;r :nlnptml to Allow light to pnSQ through #titl .Qt-uta, :nouns in stiitl housing lor directing light nnunrtllv through #nid Smit?. :nul x'icuns l'or rirrulntinj; n foolingr nn-liunt lmtwcvn l ui l lightingr nnnns nml thu (1111 on thrv` conwwr tu prou-nt heutin.;r ol' thu vggb h V said lightingr nn-nn S. EDWARD DAVIS.

villwsstw linfomi: A. 1{i.\r.\n.ER. MARY \t. lHLLuAN. 

